Meet Jason Sands!

Overlord Enterprises is very lucky to have Paul Abrams, a former artist for DC and Marvel Comics, bringing the Overlords characters to life.  Last year, Paul brought us Harrison Cross and now he has recently provided us with a monochrome sketch of Jason Sands, the 6' 6", bearded warrior that accompanies Harrison and his adventurer friends as they traverse the land and uncover the mysteries of their world.  Paul decided to draw Jason in monochrome in order to create a sharper image of the burly warrior.  We couldn't agree more!  Without further adieu, we present to the world, Jason Sands:

Great, You’re an Author! Are You a Business Too?

Hi, author friends!  I haven’t blogged in awhile so I figured it was time to pass along some more knowledge that I’ve accumulated over the years.  Like you, after I completed my rough manuscript, I needed to start getting my work publish-ready.  That meant hiring a professional editor (a must) and finding the right artist to create a killer cover design (a bigger must) as well as beginning my thought process for the big marketing campaign.  What else did I do?  OK, here it goes!

I needed a website, a newsletter to send to my loyal fans, set up my social networking accounts, yada, yada, yada.  Though some of these things you can do for free, you still need Internet access, which last I looked cost some money per month.  Oh yeah, I needed a device(s) to access Al Gore’s creation, a printer, a smart phone with all those cool apps, and again much, much more.  Are you sensing that a particular word should be added right about here?  That word would be expenses!  And when you have expenses, you my friend, have a business.  With Tax Season nipping at our heels, wouldn’t it be nice to get back a little that you put into the system?

My local bank, and I’m sure many others, allows me to have a free online business account as long as I have a personal account with them.  I use my social security number as my personal identification number for the account and tax purposes.  I even use my business name, Overlord Enterprises, on my account meaning that I can have people sign checks to either that name or myself.

When it comes to Uncle Sam, I write off book purchases, editor and artist fees, mileage to book signings and workshops, devices, Internet access, etc.  I personally use Microsoft Excel but Quicken also has home and business software that is exceptional and easy to use (I use Quicken for my personal business and love it).  Be sure to collect taxes for book sales and pay them to your state.  On your federal return, you can fill in a Schedule C and deduct everything that you do.  And when doing your taxes, be honest.  Don’t overdo it and you will be fine.

I do want to add a disclaimer here.  I hold writer’s workshops, give presentations at libraries and schools, attend writer’s conferences, and travel to all my gigs, which makes what I do a nice side business.  All of these things generate revenue, along with book sales.  If you’re only selling books, and not many at that, you might not be able to really qualify as a business since your losses will be drastically more than your income.  This raises a red flag on your tax return and can increase your chance of being audited.   Furthermore, Uncle Sam may deem you as having a cool little hobby and not a bonafide business.  But if you’re active in your business all will be fine.

I hope this helps you guys out a bit.  Getting back some money at tax time from doing something that you love is always a good thing, right?  Absolutely!

Nonnie Jules Talks About Twitter

Overlord Fans, I would like to introduce to you once again, Nonnie Jules.  Nonnie is a huge Twitter supporter of mine and is taking time today to talk about her ways around the Twitter-sphere.  Enjoy!

"HOW TO MAKE CLOSE CONNECTIONS AND GAIN SUPPORTIVE ALLIES ON TWITTER" 

Hi, and thanks so much for having me here once again at The Overlords!  Mike is such a great and supportive friend, he's one of the reasons for my topic today.  But, let me start off by introducing myself to his new followers, as there have been some new additions to my family since the last time I was here.

My name is NONNIE JULES and I'm a mother, a wife, an author, and a great friend, among other things.  If you're curious, I named my top four.  My first written piece of work is "THE GOOD MOMMIES' GUIDE TO RAISING (ALMOST) PERFECT DAUGHTERS", 100 Tips On Raising Daughters Everyone Can't Help But Love!  I published it in May of 2013, it was 102 pages long and it took me 17 days to write.  My latest baby (the newest addition I mentioned earlier) is my debut novel, "DAYDREAM'S DAUGHTER, NIGHTMARE'S FRIEND" and it was just released a couple of weeks ago, at the end of November, 2013.  It is a whopping 370 pages long and it took me 370 years to write!  OK, although I'm stretching that a tad, that's what it felt like to me.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's move on to the topic at hand, my title.  I started on Twitter the early part of 2013 and I WAS a fish out of water.  I had no idea what I was doing, or what I was supposed to be doing there, but I knew that I needed to market and sell my books.  Being as new as I was, early on I didn't find too many people who were willing to help teach me anything.  So, me being me, I just jumped right in.  One of the first things I noticed on Twitter, since it was the easiest social media forum for me to pick up, was I learned that people were sort of "clique-y".  You know the kind I'm speaking of, the ones who have gathered their close little net of friends and they just don't know how to let anyone new in.

I would ask questions about certain things, and I'm sure you won't believe me when I tell you this, but some of the answers I received were surely meant to discourage me to move on and go pick a new hobby other than writing.  I was sorely disappointed that I was coming across people who acted this way, especially since I'm known to be a great big supporter of others.

One of  the second things I noticed on Twitter was a thing called a BLOG TOUR.  Didn't exactly know what it was, but had stumbled across it on someone else's blog, and it just so happens that Mike was guest posting on that particular blog tour.  I contacted the owner of the blog who was a writer by the name of Taylor Fulks and I simply asked if she would be kind enough to host me one day.  She was more than happy to say "YES!" and I almost fell over from the shock!    Why?  Because I had met so many others who were not eager at all to help me in any way, and  here was this one person who said "Yes" without hesitating or without me having to promise her one of my two very special daughters.  (Then I found out she had two seemingly very special daughters of her own, so she didn't need one of mine *smile*).

From the tour that was going on there at Taylor's, I met Mike of The Overlords and you know how they say "the rest is history?", Well, let me tell you, it really is.  Since that time Mike and I have appeared on each other's blogs countless times and we have developed this friendship that reeks of nothing but mutual respect and support.  I said to him one day recently, "I know that if I can't show up anywhere else in cyberland, I always have a home at your place". That door swings both ways.

I learned on my own that I had to find a way to develop and cultivate friendships on Twitter that would be mutually beneficial for me as well as the other party.  And here are some of the ways I did that:

1)  I sat, I watched, I learned and then when the time was right, I jumped right in on a conversation and from there, if I found a person to be interesting and "of substance",  I would spread their message with a 'Retweet' and/or a 'Favorite'.  

2)  I randomly would select someone new to interact with, and again, would just sit and peruse their timeline, read their bio and start a conversation and then spread their message (again with Retweets and Favorites).

3)  I personally have developed what I call my TWITTER SUPPORT LIST.  This list is comprised of people who have been very supportive of me and I in turn, I am  EXTREMELY supportive of them.  There are others on this list, too.  These are random people who I've never interacted with, yet I (once again) read their bio, perused their timeline to see what they were all about, and then I would start to spread their message (Retweets and Favorites).  This is a habit that engages people.  It lets that random person know that you are a person supportive of others and generally they will return the favor by spreading your messages, as well as becoming a Follower of yours.

4)  Lastly, I tend to go out of my way for certain people on Twitter.  Those are the people who I can call on in a pinch, they're always the first ones to support me and my causes and they are simply over-the-top great people!  Mike, is one of those people to me.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that these people are always and will always be in my corner, no matter what.  As the kids say today:  "I know they have my back and I surely have theirs." 

So, there you have it in a nutshell...ways to make close connections and gain supportive allies on Twitter.  It's how I did it, and it's how you can do it, too.

Engage and engage some more.  There are wonderful people out there in cyber-land, I believe more than there are those clique-y types I met early on.  You just have to be patient and soon you will know that you've made the best connections and gained the most supportive of allies.

My time here is up so I'm going to leave by asking for your support.  I ask that you visit the links below to my blogs, my books and my book trailers (they are very nice to watch!).  And then I'm going to ask that you follow me for the rest of my tour.  I have some very interesting topics each day, that I really encourage you to not miss any of them.  Here is the Schedule for each leg of the tour so feel free to click on each day's open link.

I will also be awarding 3 lucky winners at the end of the tour.  The first lucky winner will receive a "DAYDREAM'S DAUGHTER, NIGHTMARE'S FRIEND" Swag Pack, and winners #2 and #3 will each win a $5 Amazon Gift Card!  All you have to do to win is to leave a comment below and for every comment you leave (1 per stop), you will earn 1 entry into the giveaway.  This is a 10-day tour so if you leave 10 comments, that's a comment at each stop, then you will have 10 entries into the drawing.  Isn't that fun?  

I wish you all much peace, love and great reads!  Don't forget to visit the links below and don't forget to leave us a comment! Thanks!!!

Nonnie Jules, Author
"...and her words breathe life onto paper"

CONTACT:
General Blog
Parenting Blog
Nonnie's Book Store - Signed Copies & more
Twitter:  @nonniejules

BOOKS:
"The Good Mommies' Guide to Raising (Almost) Perfect Daughters,"
100 Tips On Raising Daughters Everyone Can't Help But Love!
www.amazon.com/dp/B00CP62O56
www.createspace.com/4355124

"Daydream's Daughter, Nightmare's Friend
www.amazon.com/dp/B00GLM2VVM

TRAILERS:

"THE GOOD MOMMIES' GUIDE ..." 

"Daydream's Daughter, Nightmare's Friend" 

"EDUCATION AND HOW IT MOTIVATES ME"

Overlords fans, I would like to introduce to you Shirley Slaughter,

a Twitter friend and person who firmly believes in paying it forward.  Shirley was kind enough to host me on my Overlords Blog Tour and now I'm happy to give her a landing spot on her tour.  Shirley is very active in the community, especially in the education department, which she is going to talk about today. Please help me in welcoming Shirley to our blog.  Read on!

"Hello, Mike. Since this is my very first blog tour I’m so excited that you are the fourth host that I am visiting. I can’t believe I have come this far in the land of twitter considering where I started. As you know, I have been sharing a little bit about me so folks can get to know me better. As I continue to tell my story I am beginning to realize how multi-dimensional my pursuits are. I believe in giving something back and that is what motivates me.

EDUCATION AND HOW IT MOTIVATES ME

My name is Shirley Slaughter @motorcityauthor. I was born and raised in the great state of Michigan and lived here all of my life. I am married to my best friend Langston with two children and now grandchildren some of whom are talented themselves. My mother was a gifted individual and now I know where some of those talents come from. I graduated in 1993 Magna Cum Laude from Cleary University with a BBA Degree. My grandparents were educators. I talk about them in my book more extensively. I have been active in my community which included joining the school board in the Oak Park School District.

I was asked to help out a college friend of mine who ran for board trustee and won two terms. After she completed her terms she asked me to run and having no excuses I couldn’t refuse. I was concerned about my community and property values and figured either I better put up or shut up. I served one term and joined the legislative board to have a say in local school policy changes coming out of our Capitol in Lansing, Michigan. I realized I cannot stomach involvement in politics (although I love staying informed) so got off that “train” and got involved in other areas.

Speaking of trains I stated that I was multi-dimensional. It means that I engaged in numerous other endeavors such as saving our local train station which was in an advanced state of decay. Around 1992 I resurrected the Friends of the Michigan Central Depot and called it the New Friends of the Michigan Central, and was its president. I created a newsletter called On Track and was featured in a special section of the Detroit Free Press (had a 13-year career there) a major newspaper. I think the newsletter caught their attention. My Thesis at Cleary University was titled, The Implementation of the Most Comprehensive Approach to Restoring the Michigan Central Depot. Since then other groups have sprung up.

In later years I mentored four freshmen girls through the Winning Futures Program. All had come along with a myriad of problems. But they managed to get through the program and we developed a very close relationship. Winning Futures will help these girls for the rest of their lives because they were taught life skills and how to stick with something and see it through. They learned how to interview for employment opportunities; how to speak and dress well, collect references that can help them land jobs, and many more positive things.

I am a former member of the Detroit Writers Guild and there was a lot of educating going on. I am still listed on the web under “Members Books.” The theme and mission was getting children to read and improve on their skills. There is a major problem with children in Detroit lacking basic skills. The guild also was involved in the arts as well and put on shows showcasing the skills we brought to the table.

I was a block club leader; a member of KPC Ladies Auxiliary, Court 189 , a branch of the Knights of St. Peter Claver National, affiliated with the merged Presentation-Our Lady of Victory Church. I was always involved in something or other even trying my hand in a few business ventures. One was Amway which is how I met my husband. Dabbled in an online business as well. None made me any money but you take your chances and I did learn a lot.

I am a firm believer in paying it forward. My godmother helped put me and my siblings through school until we graduated. She was another angel along life’s road. I paid it forward by assisting my goddaughter through higher learning. Today she is a social worker and was instrumental in helping my own brother work his way through the mental health system. You see, he was in real trouble and she got assigned to him. It’s so amazing how this works. That’s why finding Twitter friends and helping each other out was a natural for me. There is so much more I could say on this topic, but I will let you get the rest in my book.

Click on this link to catch the sale while supplies last!"

http://rememberourladyofvictory.com/?page_id=24

Here is My Contact Information:

gallerybyleslie@gmail.com

iUniverse.com

http://unfoldingofarose.ning.com/profile/ShirleyLSlaughter

www.facebook.com/sslaughter3

http://Twitter.com/motorcityauthor

www.linkedin.com/in/historybuff

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00EXRCH20

Website blog: http://rememberourladyofvictory.com/

Giveaway!

For each comment left (1 per day) on each day of my tour, your name will be entered into a drawing.  ONE (1) lucky winner will receive an autographed copy of my book "OUR LADY OF VICTORY:  THE SAGA OF AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CATHOLIC COMMUNITY" and a $5 Amazon Gift Card. 1 daily comment = 1 entry into my giveaway.  Thanks again for the support and good luck in winning!!!

Thanks, Shirley.  Overlords fans, please give my friend Shirley's books a look and help her on her journey.  Also, visit her other blog stops to learn more about her and her great works.

Here's to a Wonderful Holiday Season!

Hello, Overlord fans.  Another holiday season is upon us and like everyone else, we’re all gearing up for the sales season.  However, I’m not going to give you the big sales pitch this year.  Many of you have already purchased my books and I thank you so much for being a loyal fan and follower of mine.   Instead, I’m hoping that you can help spread the word about my works to your friends, families, co-workers, and acquaintances, especially those that you think would like my books the most.  There’s always someone else out there that hasn't heard of The Overlords but might be interested if they knew.

Speaking of spreading the word, please inform those same people with children that I visit local schools and libraries, holding children’s writing sessions, science fiction and fantasy workshops, and mentor seniors with their senior projects.  I can’t be everywhere all the time and trying to contact these institutions can be a daunting task.  Your help will enable me to someday meet that young, aspiring author and help them get their writing career off the ground.  All of these things help me to pay it forward and little by little these simple acts can bring on greater things.

I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season, full of happiness and cheer.  And if the winter becomes long and cold, snuggling up near the fireplace wrapped in a blanket to keep warm while enjoying Harrison’s adventure isn’t such a bad thing, now is it?  J

Welcome Horror Writer, Gary Frank!

Overlords fans, as promised here's the very first horror writer to visit our blog.  Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Gary Frank.  Gary and I met several years ago at NECON, a horror writers convention that's held at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI every July.  We both clicked after meeting each other, with our love for sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and The Beatles helping us form an instant bond.  We both enjoy hanging out on the quad, enjoying a "few" cold ones, saugies, and interacting with our fellow NECON campers.  Gary was also kind enough to be a host for one of my stops on my Overlords Blog Tour.  OK, enough with the introductions!  Here are a few things you need to know about Gary:

Mike:  Hi, Gary.  I’m very excited to present the very first horror writer to my Overlords fan base.  We’re going to do an old fashioned interview, ok?  With that said, here we go!

Mike:  Gary, please introduce yourself to my Overlords fans with a little information about you and where you’re from.

Gary:  Hey, Mike. Thanks for the interview! Well, I've been breathing for over 40 years and writing for over 30 and have two published novels from Medallion Press. I come up with short stories every now and then, dabble in poetry, but mainly stick to writing novels. I currently live in north New Jersey, but I come from Flushing, Queens, New York.

Mike:  What are you working on these days and what’s the current status of that project?

Gary:  I had been full throttle on a complicated ghost story called Passing Strangers for most of the summer, getting about 45,000 words down and then abruptly stopped. I’m looking at that book again and also a novel based on ancient China, tentatively titled City of the Pearl Dawn.

Mike:  All your work is predominately horror.  What drew you to that genre?

Gary:  I really loved Robert McCammon's Stinger and Usher's Passing and early Dean Koontz like Phantoms. I had actually started writing science fiction and fantasy, but was always attracted to the supernatural. For a while I was writing short stories in all three genres, but around 2002, I took my fiction novel, Insert Title Here, that hadn't found a home and decided to make the antagonist "something other than human" and Forever Will You Suffer was born. Three years later I sold it to Medallion and I just stayed in horror because it's a much more emotional genre than science fiction or fantasy and that makes it more interesting to explore.

Mike:  Have you created any characters that have truly scared you?  If so, which ones?

Gary:  None that have scared me, but a number of people who read Institutional Memory (my second novel that takes place in a possessed corporate office building) have told me they no longer work overtime in their office by themselves.

Mike:  For those of you who don’t know, I met Gary at NECON several years ago and found that he’s also an accomplished musician.  Did you ever have any plans to connect with Paul McCartney and hit the road as a rocker???

Gary:  Funny you should mention Sir Paul. I had been taking lessons from a South American guitar teacher who was teaching me Spanish guitar and as a 12-year-old boy, all I wanted to learn was rock. The day I brought the sheet music to Yesterday to her was the beginning of the end of our time together. I have played at local cafes, but never hooked up with the right people to really get into the band/bar scene.

Mike:  What makes Gary Frank tick?

Gary:  I have a clock similar to Flava Flav's that I wear inside my chest.

Mike:  Any upcoming projects we should now about?

Gary:  Necon E-Books will be bringing Forever Will You Suffer and Institutional Memory out as eBooks soon. Institutional Memory will hopefully be sometime in November or December and Forever Will You Suffer will most likely be in early 2014. I have a short story, Devil Women From Mars coming out in Michael Knost’s Red-Neck Zombies From Outer Space anthology. I’m not sure exactly when that’s coming out, so we’ll call it sooner than later! And of course, the two novels.

Mike:  Care to talk about your radio show?

Gary:  Ah yes, the radio show. The Rock Labyrinth. 40+ year of classic and modern metal, prog, alternative and good, solid rock. The music runs the gamut from King Crimson, ELP and Rush to Metallica, Priest, Sabbath and Maiden to Shinedown, Evanescence, Black Tea House and Lilly Rouge to Dream Theater, Pinnacle and Spock’s Beard to The Cure, Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy. Something for everyone! The show is every Monday night at 9pm eastern US time at www.shmusicmedia.com. 

Mike:  OK, time for some quick ones, ready?  Favorite movie?

Gary:  Star Wars

Mike: Favorite food or dish to make?

Gary:  One of my recipes: Tortellini with ground turkey, onions and peppers.

Mike:  Favorite place you have ever visited?

Gary:  One place? How about a few: Beijing, Hawaii, Cape Cod, Arizona, Colorado

Mike:  Favorite music band?

Gary:  The Beatles

Mike:  Favorite book, and no it can’t be one of yours!

Gary:  No way I can do one book! The Affinity Bridge by George Mann, Peaceable Kingdom by Jack Ketchum, The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury, Stinger by Robert McCammon, The Greyfriar by Clay & Susan Griffiths, Mr. Hands by Gary Braunbeck and several dozen more I can’t think of!

Mike:  Gary, thanks for being a good sport!  Is there anything you would like to leave my fans with?

Gary:  Thanks again for interviewing me. Look for Forever Will You Suffer and Institutional Memory coming out in the next few months from Necon E-Books. Dark Territories is an anthology I co-edited with Mary Sangiovanni and is available through Amazon. Drop by www.shmusicmedia.com on Monday nights at 9pm (eastern US time) for The Rock Labyrinth. I’m on Facebook if you want to say hello. I’ve got a blog called Writing Through Hell and my website is www.authorgaryfrank.com! Lastly, keep an eye out for news in 2014 about the new books.

Gary, it's been my pleasure having you here to day.  Here are links to Gary's books -- be sure to pick up a copy or two, they make excellent reads as well as awesome Christmas gifts!

Dark Territories: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Territories-Gary-Frank/dp/097923462X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383155561&sr=1-4&keywords=dark+territories

Unfortunately, both books are out of print, but are available through Amazon’s marketplace. Here are the links to the books:

Forever Will You Suffer: http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Will-Suffer-Gary-Frank/dp/1932815694/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383151326&sr=1-1&keywords=forever+will+you+suffer

Institutional Memory: http://www.amazon.com/Institutional-Memory-Gary-Frank/dp/1933836407/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383151409&sr=1-1&keywords=institutional+memory

Nonnie Jules is Writing Again!

Hey Overlords fans, once again my fellow author and huge Twitter supporter, Nonnie Jules, has another book coming out today.  Nonnie and I have traded guest blog postings in the past and just yesterday I was on her blog for the last day of The Overlords Blog Tour: Seven Blogs in Seven Days.  Here's everything you need to know about DAYDREAM'S DAUGHTER, NIGHTMARE'S FRIEND:

DAYDREAM'S DAUGHTER, NIGHTMARE'S FRIEND Book Intro!

Blurb:  

"She was one horrible mess.  Always looking over her shoulder, avoiding becoming too friendly with the neighbors, never letting her kids out of her sight for fear of human monsters lurking around corners, waiting to cause them harm.  That anxiety stemmed from her own childhood memories.  Always fearing  that someone would recognize her face, she kept to herself and didn't go out much.  And when she did, no matter the season, she wore some kind of hat or covering on her head, enough to shield her face.  HE had done this to her even though he was dead now.  

Walter never understood why she was such a loner, avoiding  people as much as she could, and just being extremely anti-social outside of the house.  Houston was originally her home, not his, yet she didn't even want her own family and friends to know that she had returned.  The only person she found herself able to really open up with was him.  And although she tried to make him feel otherwise, he knew that there was still a huge wall up that even he would never be able to see over or climb.

Marisa had a secret and if it was ever discovered, it could cost her her life and her freedom."

Review:

"I couldn't put this book down! Every chapter that I read kept me on the edge of my seat, excited about what was to come in the next chapter.  I want more...so hope there's a sequel! Lifetime Television...watch out for DAYDREAM'S DAUGHTER, NIGHTMARE'S FRIEND.  You're going to want to turn this script into a movie!"- P.J. Soemer, Book Lover

Trailer:

http://youtu.be/qbUK3XQ5-dA

BUY LINKS:

Nonnie's Book Store

Also on Amazon (Coming to Amazon as an eBook, Saturday, November 9, 2013)

If you're interested in keeping up with this Nonnie, please check out the links below!  Thanks for joining us on this collective 25 blog BOOK INTRO!!!

CONTACT:
General Blog
Parenting Blog
Nonnie's Book Store - Signed Copies & more
Twitter:  @nonniejules

BOOKS:
"The Good Mommies' Guide to Raising (Almost) Perfect Daughters,"
100 Tips On Raising Daughters Everyone Can't Help But Love!
www.amazon.com/dp/B00CP62O56
www.createspace.com/4355124

TRAILERS:

"THE GOOD MOMMIES' GUIDE ..." 

"Daydream's Daughter, Nightmare's Friend"